A Sioux City man found guilty of four counts of first degree robbery and two counts of attempted murder has lost an appeal of his October, 2016 conviction.

The Iowa Court of appeals denied the motion in the case of 20-year-old Isaiah Mothershed.

Mothershed contended there was insufficient evidence supporting the guilty verdict on one of the attempted murder counts and that his trial attorney was ineffective in failing to seek severance of the four robbery counts.

The four robberies occurred within nine days in February of 2016.
The appeals court concluded that Mothershed’s counsel breached no essential duties and upheld the conviction.

Mothershed is serving up to 50 years in prison for crimes including the shooting of Sioux City Police Officer Ryan Moritz.

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IOWA BILL WOULD AUTHORIZE ELECTIVE BIBLE COURSE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

A BILL PRESENTED AT THE IOWA STATEHOUSE THIS PAST WEEK WOULD ESTABLISH A PUBLIC SCHOOL COURSE CENTERED ON THE BIBLE.

TWELVE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS INTRODUCED A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CREATE AN ELECTIVE SOCIAL STUDIES COURSE ON THE BIBLE FOR IOWA’S PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS.

THE BILL WOULD NOT MANDATE SCHOOLS TO OFFER THE COURSE, INSTEAD LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS WOULD VOTE TO ADD IT TO THE CURRICULUM AND STUDENTS WOULD CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO TAKE IT.

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LEGISLATORS MAY RAISE FINE FOR TAKING BALD EAGLE FROM $50 TO $2500

Forty bald eagles have been illegally killed in Iowa over the past three years, but the current STATE fine for killing the regal bird is less than the cost of most speeding tickets.

A three-member House subcommittee has endorsed raising the fine for killing bald eagles in Iowa. The proposal is now eligible for debate in the House Natural Resources Committee.

The number of eagles in Iowa swells from about 500 to three-thousand in the winter. State officials say that’s because eagles from Canada, Wisconsin and Minnesota fly down the Mississippi River, seeking open water to hunt.

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MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING MOTHER STILL RULED INCOMPETENT

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) – Doctors say a Burlington man accused of using an electric guitar to kill his mother remains incompetent for trial.

Thirty-year-old Garret Selters is charged with first-degree murder in the October slaying of 56-year-old Linda Selters.

In November doctors concluded he was incompetent for trial. At a follow-up hearing Tuesday, a judge read through reports that said Selters still was unable to assist in his defense but remained “a candidate for restoration.”

The judge set another review hearing for Feb. 19.

Police say Garret Selters struck his mother in the back of her head Oct. 17. She’d called for help that day, saying her son was having an “episode.”

Officers found Garret Selters outside, pacing and stating that he’d killed his mother.